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February 12, 2008
DEJONGH FINDS SUPPORTS AT THE EPA FOR PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING OF THE V.I. WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY A meeting in New York Tuesday between Gov. John deJongh, Jr. and officials of the Environmental Protection Agency on plans by the Administration to restructure the V.I. Waste Management Authority “went well”, according to Government House Communications Director Jean P. Greaux Jr. DeJongh met with EPA Region II administrators Tuesday to discuss his Administration’s plan to reposition the WMA as a component of the Public Works Department. The governor outlined his blueprint for the three-year-old semi-autonomous authority during his State of the Territory Address last month. The meeting on Tuesday followed a discussion deJongh held last week with the Chairman of the WMA board, Winston Adams. “I wanted to have the discussion with Alan Steinberg of EPA in particular as he has been very much involved in the waste management issues of the territory.” Steinberg is the Administrator of EPA Region II. The meeting in New York was to “gauge EPA’s posture on the direction I want to take the Waste Management Authority,” deJongh said Tuesday evening. DeJongh characterized the talks as “frank and open discussion about the WMA and really, they were quite receptive to the proposed restructuring.” The EPA officials did raise concern that there be a safeguard built in to the process to ensure that the work already done with wastewater treatment plants and other “I walked away from the meeting with a sense of support from the EPA, they are truly pleased at the dialogue that was commenced today,” deJongh said. DeJongh returns to the territory on Wednesday. |
